After tortuous journey, the House of Representative has approved a budget of ₦70,672,492,000.00 for the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) for 2016, tagged ‘the Nigerian Communication (NCC) Appropriation Bill 2016’.
Details show that out this over N70.6 billion, ₦22,211,186,000.00 was earmarked for Recurrent Expenditure, the sum of ₦15,651,475,000.00, for Capital Expenditure, while ₦6,557,708,000.00 for Special Projects.
Besides, ₦8,584,000,000.00 and ₦17,668,123,000.00 will be transferred to the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and the Federal Government of Nigeria, respectively and from the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) the Sum of ₦16,325,268,000.00 for the Year Ending on 31 December, 2016.
The bill was passed after the House Committee on Supplies, which was chaired by the speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara, considered a report of the House Committee on Telecommunications, submitted the committee chairman Hon. Saheed Fijabi on the budget of the NCC budget.
According to the provisions establishing the commission, virement on the NCC appropriation would only be achieved with the approval of the National Assembly.
In the event that the implementation of any of the projects intended to be undertaken under this Bill cannot be completed without virement which remains the exclusive reserve of the National Assembly.
The House advised the Executive Chairman of NCC Umar Garba Danbatta, should ensure prompt release of funds as well as furnish the National Assembly with detailed quarterly report of the budget implementation.
The lawmakers noted further that the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of the Commission shall ensure that Funds appropriated under this Bill are released as and when due, provided that no funds for any Quarter of the Fiscal year shall be deferred without prior waiver from the National Assembly. The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Directorate of Treasury, Nigerian Communications Commission shall, immediately upon the coming into force of this Bill, furnish the National Assembly, on a Quarterly basis the status of the records of the Nigerian Communications Commission and statutory account.
